With 349 days until the next presidential election, Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe kicked off his “Protecting Jobs in the Midwest” tour in Madison Thursday.

The tour will stop in three additional cities across Wisconsin and Missouri after Madison to introduce the Democratic Presidential Primary Debate in Iowa on Monday.

McAuliffe will stop in Jefferson, Wis. to meet with striking workers at the Tyson plant and in Milwaukee and Kansas City to conduct news conferences at union halls. In these cities, McAuliffe will discuss the loss of manufacturing jobs during the Bush administration along with other issues significant to Midwest voters, such as education and health care.

“I want to send a message to Wisconsin,” McAuliffe said. “I need these ten electoral votes, and [the Democrats] have to win this state.”

McAuliffe outlined some of the key DNC issues that will be debated in Monday’s debate, including job growth, health care, education and the current war in Iraq, while Republican National Committee issues include strengthening the U.S. economy, protecting the environment and defending America in the Iraqi war.

In the 2004 Democratic platform, Democrats aim to increase funding for the University of Wisconsin and Technical College System. This tuition should not increase at a faster rate than inflation.

“Bush cut campus-based financial aid programs by $160 million and froze funding for Perkins Loans and Pell Grants,” McAuliffe said. “With a Democrat in office, we would increase funding for both categories.”

McAuliffe also recognized the job market crisis for college graduates, noting that only three out of ten college graduates got a job within the past year.

McAuliffe said Democratic leadership is essential for a healthier economy.

“We need investments in small business and investments in people,” he said. “[These investments] among others will create an economic engine that will fuel our country’s economy.”

When asked about current hot-button issues such as gay marriage, McAuliffe agreed with Republican Dick Cheney’s stance.

“As you know, the Democratic party is in the same place as Dick Cheney,” he said. “[Gay marriage] should not be legislated nationally and should be left up to individual states.”

But McAuliffe also pointed out that these issues were not the main focus of the debate. “We will not be trapped in 2004 trying to divide up America with issues like these,” he said.

Linda Honold, chairwoman for Democratic Party of Wisconsin, assured voters that Democratic fundraising is proving effective.

“We’re operating in the black,” she said. “The budget has doubled since I became chair.” McAuliffe also guaranteed $10 million in Democratic campaign money in the bank, with no debt whatsoever.

“Not only do we have over two million donors, our Internet fundraising has gone up by 6,000 percent,” McAuliffe said. “This is the best shape our party has ever been in going in a presidential election.”

Monday’s debate will be the fifth of six debates organized by the DNC and will be moderated by NBC’s Tom Brokaw at the Polk County Convention Center in Des Moines, Iowa. It will be broadcast live on MSNBC at 3 p.m. Central Standard Time.

McAuliffe said the Democratic Party has nine candidates, and will have a nominee by March 10.

“Then we get to go one-on-one with George Bush,” he said.

Despite Democratic rivalry in the upcoming presidential election, McAuliffe planned to stick with just the facts.

“I’ll make a deal with Bush,” he said. “If he can create 3.3 million jobs, bring the U.S. economy back into surplus, and provide health care to all Americans, I’ll vote for him.”